Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-03
LIVE STOCK NOTES.
Unless Something Is Done for the
Snetp Growers the Supply OF Nut
ton Will Fall Short.
Feeding-Chicago Prices Being Paid on
the Range In West Etxas.

Further INQUIRIES yesterday among the
officials of the Texas and Pacific about
the supply Of cars to the western cattle
shippers failed to elicit any more hopeful
Information than was given yesterday.
Although the company is drawing some
cars from other roads the number OBJ
tanned is short of what was anticipated.
"a
A prominent western sheepman was
spoken TO yesterday about the outlook of
the western fockoWlers and he spoke
rather gloomily Of It. II something
is not soon done to relieve the
pressure on wool growers there
will not be sheep enough raised in this
country to furnish mutton in two years
do not mean to say sheepraislng even
now is a losing business if it were prop
erly carried on. Good sheep sll through
the past year have brought good prices,
but the wool has brought al
most nothing. Wool to-day is worth
You can get &c for your cotton, and all
the wool in Colorado City WAS sold out
not fortnight ago at II and lac. II
pound of wool is not worth three pounds
Ct cotton it is not worth growing.
Mr.. a. G. Wilmeth OfScurry county was
spoken to yesterday about the condition
of stockmen along the Texas and Pacific.
The range, he said, west of Taylor county
is good. The snow which fell west of
STeetW&ter did no damage to the grass,
as it dried OF half an hour after
it fell. The stock is all in good
fix. The two questions troubling the
stockmen now, he says, are the low
prices and the scarcity of cars on the rail
road. The matter Of prices has less ter
rors for them since the frmness Of the
Chicago markets set In week ago, and
they do not expect them to fall
back again. AS evidencing
the faith western people
have in better markets next yesr, Mr..
Wilmeth says some of the well fixed peo-
pie are paying Chicago prices for cattle
on the range to those who are compelled
to sell, with the intention of holding them
till spring. As TO the scarcity of
cars, he gays the railroad is
$50 cars behind orders at Colorado City.
One cattle company two weeks ago
turned loose 1000 head from a station
where they had taken them TO ship, see
ing there was no chance of getting the
cars in reasonable time.
Mr.. w. II. Fusch who has been en-
gagged in all branches Of the stock raising
businessi in West Texas for the past ten
years, was st the Msnsion house yester-
day, and in the course Of a conversation
gave the reporter some pointers
on cattle feeding that are of interest.
A stoCkmsn feeding cattle in Texas
will use from thirty to fifty bushels of
corn to the head, according to the length
of the feeding season. That is reason
able estimate. Now, in those portions Of
the state where cattle are fec,
to grow these (ssy) thirty bushels
average year. Now, sorghum, for all
equal to corn; and one acre of
the very poorest year, yield feed
sufficient for one head Of stock
and in favorable year, enough for four
or five head. Besides this advantage, and
what is Of great Importance. sorghum in
Texasican always be relied upon to fur
nish good yield, for the land in this
state is IN every way adapted to its grow
ing. The plant will not die in
time of droutb, but only stands
still, and when rain comes grows
with as much vigor as though it had never
lacked water. The people of West Texas
are taking hold of this feedstuf in a way
that makes it appear as il it would
soon supeTcede corn as cattle feed
ing materisl. a great many small
stock growers are raising it and
some large ranchmen. Mr.. P. J. Willis
in Scurry county has raised great deal
of it this year and proposes to feed his
poor cattle and beeves on it. There are
very few stoCkmen out there who have
not made enough of it to feed their
beeves.